Readers' Comments

These are the same types of folks who created new and better financial instruments to gain more profit from your home mortgage, insurance, and health care. Oh, you don't remember the crash of 2008? Same profit motive that crashed the economy that conservatives want to continue rather than give credit to Obama. The people must rise. We the people; not we the corporations.

CIGARETTE COMPANIES SHOULD HAVE TO HAVE A WARNING ON THEIR LABEL THAT STATES THAT THEY ARE RADIOACTIVE. IT'S THE RADIOACTIVITY THAT KILLS AT LEAST 90% OF THE TIME. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THAT THE BIGGEST KILLING AGENT IN CIGARETTES IS THE RADIOACTIVITY. ANYTHING ELSE WITH THAT MUCH RADIOACTIVITY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A WARNING LABEL IF IT WAS INGESTED - OR IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL TO INGEST.

AS EASY AS IT IS TO BUY YOUR WAY THROUGH THINGS IN MEXICO, THE CIGARETTES COMPANIES WERE NOT ABLE TO BUY THEIR WAY OUT OF HAVING TO PUT A WARNING LABEL ON THEIR CIGARETTES IN MEXICO. THE WARNING ON MEXICAN CIGARETTE PACKS STATES, "Substancia Radioactiva POLONIUM 210." - AND THEY DO NOT CONTAIN ANY LESS RADIOACTIVITY THAN AMERICAN CIGARETTES.

(NOTE: Organic Cigarettes, though still bad for you, do not contain the radioactivity of regular cigarettes since they do not use chemical fertilizers - which is where the radioactivity in regular cigarettes originates.)

Some of the following may be old news to some and new to others.

As ALEC is forced to be superficially transparent, it will try desperately to keep hidden its strategy of deliberate chaos.

One of the tragedies in the anti-democratic reforms currently taking place across the spectrum of American society is the cynical manipulation of mainstream Americans’ belief in the presumed integrity of democratic processes and the disbelief that blatant lying, maneuvering, misinforming, and disinforming for the sake of corporate hegemony can happen in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

More attention needs to be paid to a deliberate strategy of chaos that is being played out. While ALEC (and its other affiliations and associations) can show that it does not always have a direct connection to the agendas currently being wielded, indirect links and influence are often discovered.

The late Paul Weyrich, co-founder of ALEC, helped Eric Heubeck write the manifesto for the New Traditionalist Movement in 2001. While The New Traditionalists and the Dominionists have been encouraged not to draw additional unneeded attention to themselves, their manifesto, nonetheless, illustrates, in part, HOW rapid change is taking place in the U.S. If such a manifesto were written by a group outside the U.S. trying to influence U.S. policies and institutions, it would be considered terrorism, which is what it is — domestic terrorism.

Here are some excerpts:

“This essay is based on the belief that the truth of an idea is not the primary reason for its acceptance. Far more important is the energy and dedication of the idea’s promoters—in other words, the individuals composing a social or political movement…”

“There will be three main stages in the unfolding of this movement. The first stage will be devoted to the development of a highly motivated elite able to coordinate future activities. The second stage will be devoted to the development of institutions designed to make an impact on the wider elite and a relatively small minority of the masses. The third stage will involve changing the overall character of American popular culture…”

“Our movement will be entirely destructive, and entirely constructive. We will not try to reform the existing institutions. We only intend to weaken them, and eventually destroy them. We will endeavor to knock our opponents off-balance and unsettle them at every opportunity. All of our constructive energies will be dedicated to the creation of our own institutions…”

“We will maintain a constant barrage of criticism against the Left. We will attack the very legitimacy of the Left. We will not give them a moment’s rest. We will endeavor to prove that the Left does not deserve to hold sway over the heart and mind of a single American. We will offer constant reminders that there is an alternative, there is a better way. When people have had enough of the sickness and decay of today’s American culture, they will be embraced by and welcomed into the New Traditionalist movement. The rejection of the existing society by the people will thus be accomplished by pushing them and pulling them simultaneously.”

“We must create a countervailing force that is just as adept as the Left at intimidating people and institutions that are used as tools of left-wing activism but are not ideologically committed, such as Hollywood celebrities, multinational corporations, and university administrators. We must be feared, so that they will think twice before opening their mouths…”

“We will be results-oriented rather than good intentions-oriented. Making a good-faith effort and being ideologically sound will be less important than advancing the goals of the movement…”

“We will use guerrilla tactics to undermine the legitimacy of the dominant regime. We will take advantage of every available opportunity to spread the idea that there is something fundamentally wrong with the existing state of affairs. … contribute to a vague sense of uneasiness and dissatisfaction with existing society. … We need to break down before we can build up. We must first clear away the flotsam of a decayed culture.”

“We need more people with fire in the belly, and we need a message that attracts those kinds of people…We must reframe this struggle as a moral struggle, as a transcendent struggle, as a struggle between good and evil. And we must be prepared to explain why this is so. We must provide the evidence needed to prove this using images and simple terms…”

Support of an Elite More Valuable than Support of the Masses

“We will initially operate according to the belief that it is more important to win over the elites (or create a new, better one) than to build up a mass movement. Furthermore, it is more important to have a few impassioned members than a large number of largely indifferent members. The amount of energy, élan, and self-assurance that we are able to inculcate in the leaders of our movement will ultimately determine its success or failure.”

“The new movement must be, in part, exclusive and elite. It must not be afraid to pass along a body of knowledge that is not readily accessible to and understandable by everyone. The strong appeal of a feeling of exclusivity and superiority will give our members a reason to endure the slings and arrows of popular disapproval.”

“The New Traditionalist movement will appeal to the masses, but not immediately. The ideas of the masses never come from the masses. To the extent that the masses are more conservative than the elites, this is primarily because the masses have a long collective memory, and they still value the beliefs articulated by a long-lost elite. The conservative instincts of the American people will continue to erode unless a new elite is formed to refresh that memory.”

“We must recognize that literature and philosophy do not appeal to the masses. This is why we must develop ways to spread our philosophy using non-rational means–especially the moving image.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Integration_of_Theory_and_Practice

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/01/1021676/-A-Rant-against-ALEC-and-Koch-everyone-should-read-before-it-s-too-late

If we could be flies on the wall of the backroom meetings and deals being made in the decision-making circles, this is the language we would hear and the strategies being put forward. This is the language that is covered up when proponents of the underlying strategies make PUBLIC pronouncements.

Still surprised the southern states have been telling lies about not being biased to the entire country. It seems the southern states wish to Voters Rights back a few decades when people they believe 'lower' than themselves could not vote. They wish to take Women back decades and take away their rights also. You wish to take controll of your 'own' voting system, that would be when ballots were stuffed or people were told who they must vote for or else. This is what you are pushing for to the honest people of this country. The biggest problem is that you stand up in front of the world and tell how you wish to break laws controlling votes and taking away the rights of thousands of others as if just because you said it its right! This is what pathalogic liers believe also, just saying what you wish Does Not Make it Right or Honest.So wich is it, are you a lier or just ignorant?

How can people in certain states hold on to decades of HATE, fairness, double standard isn't an excuse you can use for you ignorance. You don't want any minority or anyone you consider lower than you to have ANY rights. Cheating and using made up bills for your own satisfaction is against the law. You have no right to deny any person the right to vote because you don't feel they are worthy. May God have mercy on you Hateful soul!

It's about time the states controlled their own voting mechanisms again. This is long overdue to prevent the potential of voter fraud in the elections.

Mediocre ad is more like it. Can barely understand what they're saying. Makes it look like Joe Biden is in collusion with them.

As has been brought out time and time again, Zimmerman did NOT stalk Trayvon Martin. Get the facts straight, at least.

Do we have short memories? Is there a thinking mind among the leadership in these states? It seems to me it was the USSR , China, and a few other countries that we criticized for their people's inability to protest. And it seems to me we fought a war in Europe when the Nazi's were pulling some of this stuff. We keep hearing from the right wing that there should be LESS government in our lives...they seem to want more government control of our minds, and our bodies...so much for less government!

Rahm Emmanuel is doing the same thing in Chicago. I got so sick of what was going on that I moved out of the city. I saw the writing on the wall and took my retirement, even though I could have taught for a few more years. I loved my job and my kids, but I could no longer stand the system. The politicians (national, state, and local) and their corporate bed partners are behind the fall of the U.S. economy. Now they are trying to find ways to fix what was once a well run school system. I now see it is happening in other states. It's all about money. They've milked the country until it was no longer able to function financially and now they're pointing fingers at each other. Makes me want to cry.

"I am one of the youngest murder victims in our great Nation's history, but the media doesn't care to cover the story of my tragic demise...."

This is a very uninformed comment that seeks to distract from the issue at-hand; a problematic piece of legislation called "Stand Your Ground". Having had a number of family members murdered including one of my closest just a few weeks ago(and with many unsolved), I still oppose this law.

There has to be someway that the feds can impose a penalty for NC for every voter denied the vote, Say $10,000 each. Also fine a voter who complains without fact about another voter, challenging the vote...$1,000. I would think this might cause reflection before Republicans deny valid voters their right